Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/51

 Major Popham advanced in force, and defeated Chait Singh's forces at Benares, Latifpur and Bijaighar: the tribute was doubled, when a nephew of Chait Singh was made Raja. Chait Singh, with a few followers, took refuge in Gwalior and lived there until his death on March 29, 1810.

BENARES, SIR ISRI PRASAD NARAYAN SINGH, MAHARAJA BAHADUR of (1822–1889)

Born 1822: nephew and adopted son of Raja Udit Singh of Benares, whom he succeeded in 1835: belonged to the Bhuinhar family, from which came Balwant Singh and Chait Singh: he rendered conspicuous service during the mutiny and largely assisted in maintaining order in the city and neighbouring country: made Maharaja Bahadur in 1859: G.C.S.I, in 1877: received the title of "His Highness" in 1889 as a personal distinction: and a salute of 15 guns: had no son, and was succeeded in his immense estates by his nephew, the present Maharaja: was a great patron of literature, several poets resided at his court and wrote works under the Maharaja's name: died June 13, 1889.

BENARES, MAHARAJA SIR PRABHU NARAIN SINGH, BARADUR OF (1855–)

Born Nov. 26, 1855: succeeded as nephew and adopted son of Maharaja (q.v.), on June 13, 1889: received the title of His Highness as a personal distinction in Sep. 1889: G.C.I.E., Jan. 1898: has a salute of 13 guns.  BENDALL, CECIL (1856–)

Born July 1, 1856: educated at City of London School, Trinity and Caius Colleges, Cambridge: first class. Classical Tripos, and first class Indian Languages Tripos: Fellow, Caius College, 1879–85: at the British Museum, in the Department of Oriental MSS. and printed books, 1882–98: Curator of Oriental Literature in the Cambridge University Library, 1892: Professor of Sanskrit at University College, London, 1885–1903, and at Cambridge since 1903 (previously Sanskrit lecturer there): travelled in India and Nipal, 1884–5 and 1898–9: on the Council of the R. A .S., 1901: published A Journey of Literary and AfchcBological Research in Nipal and Northern India, 1886: and Catalogues of Buddhist Sanskrit MSS at Cambridge, and of .Sanskrit Pali books, and MSS, in the British Museum, besides other works on Sanskrit.  BENFEY, THEODOR (1809–1881)

Born Jan. 28, 1809: studied from 1824 at Gottingen: Doctor of Philosophy, 1828: also studied at Munich: taught at Frank-fort, 1830–4: made Privat Docent, 1834: ordinary Professor of the philosophical faculty, 1862: laboured at classical philology, Sanskrit language and literature, and the science of language: left his mark on Oriental research: in the front rank as a Vedic scholar and Sanskrit grammarian: studied the early fable literature of India and other countries: edited the Sama Veda, 1848: wrote a Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 1866, and a Grammar of the Vedic language: Fellow of the Society of Letters, Gottingen: F.R.A.S. of Great Britain, and of other learned societies: wrote Vedica und Linguistica, 1880: Vedica und Verwandites, 1880: died June 30, 1881.  BENFIELD, PAUL ( ? –1810)

In the E. I. Co.'s Civil Service: went to India in 1764: in Madras he made money by trade, lending, and contracts, and had large money dealings with the Nawab of the Carnatic: one of these being unfavourably regarded by the Court of Directors in 1777, he resigned the service and retired to England, 1779: but, having demanded an inquiry and explained, he was reinstated and returned to Madras, finally retiring in 1793: lost his fortune in speculations and died in want, 1810: M.P. for Cricklade in 1780.  BENGALI, SORABJI SHAPURJI (1831–1893)

Born Feb. 15, 1831: son of a Calcutta merchant: educated at the Education Society's school (now Elphinstone High School) in Bombay: employed in the Bombay branch of the Bank of Ceylon and subsequently in the Commercial Bank of India: went, in 1853, to the Mercantile Bank and, in 1858, became Assistant to Muncherji Framji Cama: was well read in Gujarati and English and brought out several Gujarati periodicals. In 1868, he visited Europe. He assisted Naoroji